Monk looking for improvement after first Leeds United game

Leeds United head coach Garry Monk admitted there were things his new side would have to improve on after watching them win 2-1 in their opening pre-season game against Shelbourne.

Monk was happy enough with the initial workout when he took charge of the Leeds side for the first time, but said it was a “work in progress”.

Two goals in the first 14 minutes gave Leeds control of their first friendly of the summer with striker Souleymane Doukara netting first and new winger Hadi Sacko quickly adding a second.

Adam Evans pulled one back for the hosts early in the second half, but United saw out the game to give Monk his first victory.

Monk fielded two completely different teams with one playing the opening hour and the other playing the final 30 minutes and he intends to do the same in the second game of Leeds’ Irish trip at Shamrock Rovers on Saturday.

On his first game in charge, he said: “I was happy with certain elements.

“There was a little bit of rustiness, but that’s natural at this stage.

“It was their first game, their first minutes back out on the pitch.

“They’ve done a lot of hard work out here already, so physically they’re under a lot of stress, but it was a good result. Although it wasn’t really the result I was looking at – it was more about certain elements.

“There were good periods in the game where I liked what I saw and there were other bits that we need to improve on.

“We need to get better and improve on things, which we will do – but it was first minutes for the players and there was always going to be that little bit of rustiness.

“They’ve been working in a good way, now we just have to fine-tune things in the games that are coming up. Like I’ve said all along, it’s a work in progress.”

Goalkeeper Rob Green did not play after having just one week’s training with his new team-mates while defenders Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi were absent through injury, although are not expected to be out for long.